| 词组 | reason why |
| 释义 | reason why Reason why is denounced as a redundancy by American Heritage 1969, 1982, Shaw 1970, 1975, 1987, and Prentice Hall 1978; it is defended by Evans 1957 and Bernstein 1971. Bernstein, in fact, finds instances when the why is required, and says that even when it is not required, it is never unidiomatic or wrong. Most other commentators who mention it are tolerant. Their tolerance is well taken, for many usage writers themselves use reason why. We have examples from Lounsbury 1908, Fowler 1926, Gowers 1948, Evans 1957, Phythian 1979, Johnson 1982, and Howard 1984. The question of the propriety of reason why is an American one that originated in this century. We do not know who started it. Vizetelly 1906 mentions it, but only as an idiom; he later called it correct in a 1929 issue of the Literary Digest. Leonard included it on his 1932 survey of usage, where it was considered established, as it was again in Crisp's 1971 survey. A contemporary author responding to Crisp's survey blamed the expression on Tennyson because of his line "Theirs not to reason why...." A couple of commentators—Simon 1980 and Harper 1975, 1985—also give Tennyson some credit for propagating the phrase. But Tennyson—who used the verb reason, not the noun— could not have had more than a slight reinforcing effect: the locution dates back to 1225 and was well established long before Tennyson's time. • The reason why a Poet is said, that hee ought to have all knowledges, is that... —Ben Jonson, Timber: or, Discoveries, before 1637 • I believe your Lordship will agree with me in the Reason, Why our Language is less Refined than those of Italy, Spain, or France —Jonathan Swift, A Proposal for Correcting, Improving and Ascertaining the English Tongue, 1712 • These observations will show the reason why the poem of Hudibras is almost forgotten —Samuel Johnson, The Idler, 2 June 1759 • ... describing the reasons why any one should do so —Emily Dickinson, letter, 12 May 1842 • I see no reason why you should't be heard from — Henry Adams, letter, 18 Dec. 1863 • That is one reason why I like reading older novels — Lewis Carroll, letter, 10 July 1892 • ... all reasons why he should avoid me —George Bernard Shaw, letter, 6 Sept. 1896 • ... no good reason why you should publish a poem of mine of this length —Archibald MacLeish, letter, 21 Feb. 1926 • ... several reasons why I should like to see it get back —James Thurber, letter, 19 Nov. 1946 • ... this was one reason why Romanized Britain fell so easy a prey to the invader —G. M. Trevelyan, A Shortened History of Britain, 1942 • ... one of the many reasons why the passage ... throws into relief... —Henry James, The Art of the Novel, 1934 Reason why is still current: • The reasons why a local conflict... could invoke a great world struggle —Charles S. Maier, N. Y. Times Book Rev., 29 July 1984 • Fear of terrorist attacks is not the only reason why Americans are deciding to stay at home —The Economist, 26 Apr. 1986 Mary Vaiana Taylor's survey of university teaching assistants (College English, April 1974) discovered that 70 percent of them marked reason why as an error— making TAs more hostile to the phrase than even the Heritage usage panel. So if you are taking freshman English, you had perhaps best avoid offending with this usage. Anyone else can use reason why freely. For a discussion of reason why followed by a linking verb and a clause introduced by because, see reason is because. |
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